Wales diverged from England’s coronavirus rules “for the sake of being different”, the former Welsh minister has claimed.

Conservative MP Simon Hart told the Covid inquiry on Thursday that there was no real reason why the Welsh government introduced different Covid measures – such as having its own definition for key workers – to those implemented in England.

But messages from the time show Hart claiming the differences were “valid” and not “political opportunism”.

Summing up Hart's evidence, the counsel inquiry said he had accused Welsh ministers of having “actively sought differentiation in their approach compared to the UK governments in England for no other reason than to be different and set well as apart from other nations in the UK”.

“You thought Wales were being different for the sake of being different?” Hart was asked.

“I do believe that to be the case,” answered Hart, who is now chief whip to the House of Commons and secretary to the Treasury. “Rather than save lives, I think what you did is cause confusion.”

But notes from a meeting held on 26 March 2020 show Hart defending the decision for Wales to deviate from England’s legislation.

“SoS [Secretary of State] raises diversion on business rates and definitions of key workers, particularly in cross-border areas,” the meeting notes said. “These can look like political opportunism, even though there are likely valid reasons for divergence.”

When asked why he made those claims at the time, Hart told the hearing he was being “tactful”.

“If there were valid reasons for divergence I'm not completely sure what they were,” he added. “More importantly, I'm not completely sure what effect they had.”

Communication between the two governments felt “like a one-way street,” said Hart, adding that tensions were expected during this time.

Outgoing Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford, who announced his intention to step down in December, will appear in front of the inquiry next week to defend the decisions his government made during the pandemic.

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